Thursday, 30 December 2010

2010 has been a very enjoyable year in the gallery, with some fantastic pieces passing through our hands. During August we had a record breaking show with paintings from Oppenheimer to Hornel and Paterson, and many other Glasgow Boys. It made us very proud of the history that this gallery has for selling Galloway Paintings from the 19th century onwards and it was such a delight to sit surrounded by paintings which reflect the strength of our local and national artistic heritage.

The contemporary exhibitions during the rest of the year gave us the opportunity to work with new artists and makers, and also invite returning artists. Many of the artists with whom we work have become good friends and we enjoy keeping in touch and hearing all about their latest projects and inspirations.

2011 will bring lots of vibrant new exhibitions to Castle Douglas and we look forward to them with much excitement and anticipation.

We were pleased to launch a brand new gallery web site just before Christmas - this project had been a long time in the planning and it hasn't been an easy process. However, our customers from all over the country can now shop from the gallery online. The web site is an ongoing project and we have plans to develop it further in the New Year.

On a personal note, the New Year will see me embark on my second house renovation project. Not a tenement flat in Glasgow this time, but a tiny Arts and Crafts cottage in Galloway. I am looking forward to reintroducing some period features and furniture and mixing the old with the new. I have to put central heating in before I can get on with the job that interests me the most - interior decorating! I may not have a new kitchen but I already have some fantastic pieces of art for the house, and I can't wait to move in.

A review of our current exhibition appeared in today's Galloway News. If you can't read it above here's the text:

The annual ‘Galloway’ exhibition at McGill Duncan Gallery is a tradition that dates back many years. Artists who live in Galloway, as well as artists who come to seek inspiration from the landscapes and landmarks of Galloway are taking part in the seasonal show.

Fittingly for this cold snap, there are many fantastic winter landscapes, including an atmospheric scene of Scaur Glen, in the coldest of Januarys, by Alison Proudlock.

Gallery owners Jill and Zoë Blamire have curated a special section of the exhibition along the theme of Galloway Forest’s ‘Dark Sky Park’. Galloway is the first region in the UK to be awarded ‘Dark Skies’ status by the International Dark Sky Association with the Authority of Unesco. For this part of the exhibition potters and printmakers have produced wonderfully imaginative pieces, which have been popular over the festive season.

Sue Dunne, who makes ceramics with impressions of collected plant specimens, searched for plants whose seed heads have a natural starry shape. She also used star fish and create a collage of different starry themed tiles.

Local potter Hannah McAndrew made small jugs depicting ‘Star Gazing’ as well as striking candle holders pierced with patterns of star constellations. When lit, these constellations reflect stars on a wall – a perfect tribute to the fantastic clear starry skies that we get in Galloway.

To coincide with this exhibition the gallery launched a new e-commerce web site, which means customers from across the country can now shop from the gallery online www.mcgillduncangallery.com Zoe Blamire said ‘This is an exciting development for our business, we have people who regularly travel long distances to visit the gallery – it will now be much easier for them to buy art from us and it also gives local people the chance to browse online before they come to the gallery’.

The exhibition runs until the 31st of January and all work is available to purchase with ‘Own Art’ a Creative Scotland initiative to make it easy to buy art in ten interest free monthly payments.

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

Our good friend John Burns sent us this brilliant poem. It's perfect for the season, so I thought I would share it with you. It also goes very nicely with one of the artworks that we have in the gallery - 'A Charm of Goldfinches' by Lisa Hooper. John actually wasn't aware of Lisa's linocut and got a pleasant surprise when he saw it in the gallery.

John is a teacher, poet and author. Some of you may remember the very successful and lively book launch that we had for him in the gallery for his book 'Series of Dreams - The Vision Songs of Bob Dylan'.

goldfinches drift

goldfinches drift
through falling snow
a charm
against the coldness
of the heart

goldfinches drift

through falling snow
a charm
against the coldness
of the heart

goldfinches drift
through falling snow
a charm
against the coldness
of the heart

Friday, 17 December 2010

Wouldn't this make a lovely Christmas present? Perfect for adults and children alike.

London based artist Saskia Pomeroy has hand printed this two colour screen print on 170 gsm white plike paper. The ink on the moons even glows in the dark. The edition is limited to 100. And it's only £20.

Saturday, 11 December 2010

My cousin Amy, who is Red Squirrel Field Officer for The Wildlife Trust in Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside asked me to let people know about this.

Save Our Squirrels is involved in a campaign called 'scribble a squirrel' to raise funds (their funding runs out completely in 6 months). The idea is that famous people scribble a squirrel and they auction them on Ebay. The first auction is for original drawings by Axel Scheffler (the creator of the The Gruffalo). They are currently on Ebay until 13th Dec. The drawings are absolutely delightful.

More information about the scribble a squirrel campaign can be found here:

Wednesday, 8 December 2010

We have lots of new stripy Sue Binns pottery in the gallery. I love them! The cobalt blue and white matte glazes are so tactile. The little coffee cups are a delight to drink out of - the porcelain is really fine which makes them nice and light but they still feel very sturdy and they have such an appealing shape.

Leo took this photo of me buried in packaging as I unpacked the pots last week.

On a different note. I know I've been talking about it for a long time, but our new web site really is nearly ready to launch. We are just sorting out some technical hitches and it should be ready to go - exciting!

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Our new Galloway Exhibition got off to a great start with a very festive opening on Saturday. The wine mulled scented the gallery with cloves and cinnamon, and a jolly good crowd turned out in spite of the weather.

Monday, 6 December 2010

Today Scotland's First Minister announced a £1,000 competition – sponsored by industry body Scottish Renewables and open to Art Students across Scotland – to design an Award medal.

Scotland’s marine energy Saltire Prize Green Energy Award will recognise outstanding contributions to the development of wave and tidal power. It will be presented at Scottish Renewables’ annual conference in March 2011.

My brother Joss works for Scottish Renewables as a Policy Manager and has been involved with launching the competition.

The Medal design competition is open to undergraduate students in further education colleges and universities across Scotland studying in the areas of silversmithing and jewellery, three dimensional design and other craft-based design and fine art programmes.

Friday, 3 December 2010

This is the view from our gallery last night - Santa had his grotto and a street disco at 'Ranchers' the metal workers across the road from us during the late night Christmas shopping.

We've had a bit more snow today but we're hoping lots of people will still be able to come to our opening tomorrow. We'll have mulled wine and a cosy open fire - the gallery really comes into its own in this chilly weather and feels very festive.

Wednesday, 1 December 2010

Leo took these photos during a tea break - we're hanging the Galloway Exhibition and it's all starting to look just great. In the photo you can see Christine Smith's 'Dark Skies Vase' spying on Jill eating a delicious sour cherry Christmas filo pie from 'Thistle B Scrumptious'. The vase sold as soon as it came into the gallery but we have some more of her amazing pieces in the show. She has really embraced our 'Dark Skies' theme and made some fantastic work for us - thanks Christine!

We're open on Thursday the 2nd of December for late night shopping until 8pm.

We will be serving ginger wine or non alcoholic ginger cordial while you view.

Castle Douglas is looking very festive and there's lots going on in the town on Thursday night. Our neighbour Clint Burgess at Thistle B Scrumptious will be opening late too, so you can stock up on some delicious Scottish fayre on your way down to see us in the gallery.

Leo has been helping us with our in-house product shots today and it's been brilliant to have an extra pair of hands in the gallery while we set up the exhibition. He's been photographing paintings that are already behind glass, which is quite a challenge, but he's done a great job. He also took some really lovely photos of our snowy gallery garden. Thanks Leo!

Monday, 29 November 2010

We decorated the gallery window today with the theme of 'Winter Trees' and included some little berry-like lights and sculptural tree decorations. Lisa Hooper's lino etching 'Winter Trees, Garlieston' and Josephine Broakhuizens's oil painting 'Black Barn and Geese' look fantastic together and we were very pleased with how seasonal the gallery looked as it got dark outside and the lighting took full effect.

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

I'm just back from a fabulous short stay in London. I went down to see my friend Kathryn, and to go to Rufus Wainwright's concert at the Royal Albert Hall and see lots and lots of exhibitions. More about them later.

Imagine my delight when I saw these greetings cards on sale at the Victoria and Albert Museum - Lisa Hooper's 'Mountain Hare' and 'Deceit of Lapwings'. We have been championing Lisa's work since we opened the gallery over three years ago and we are very proud of her growing success.

Friday, 19 November 2010

It's been a busy day. Lots of artists came to see us with new work or just dropped in to pick up some invitations for the next show.

The morning got off to a great start with a visit from Paul Young and a delivery of his fabulous pots:

Then in the afternoon it was lovely to see Michael Ashcroft and his wife Debbie. Here's Michael delivering his oil paintings of Kippford and Rockcliffe:

We also had visits from Sandy Robb and Hannah McAndrew - it was great to see everyone and it makes us look forward to the Opening on the 4th December with even more excitement... there's so much work to do before then though!

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Our forthcoming exhibition is featured in the December issue of Dumfries and Galloway Life magazine. The article focuses on the 'Dark Skies' part of the show.

Makers have created work specially for the exhibition, to celebrate Galloway's Dark Sky Park - the first in the UK. The magazine chose to show a vase by Christine Smith. It depicts one of the star gazers who come here to look at the stars and planets because the Galloway Forest has so little light pollution.

I've had a preview of some of the pieces and they are just brilliant.

Our exhibition in December coincides with two significant events in the skies above us - a Geminids Meteor Shower and a very rare Total Lunar Eclipse.

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Our current exhibition draws to a close on Saturday, but there is still lots of new work coming into the gallery. We have sold quite a few of Josephine Broekhuizen's paintings recently so she sent us one of her latest works - Morning On The Bay - a view from her home on Arran.

I unwrapped it this morning and I think it's a beautiful painting. We will be rehanging the gallery with this and other gallery artists work next week. We start to hang our 'Galloway' exhibition at the beginning of December ready for Opening on Saturday 4th December.

Do drop in and see us in November as we have lots of new work for you to see.

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

As our new web site gets ready for launch we're preparing for taking lots of photos of the gallery stock.

We've invested in some proper photography equipment and we've made a designated photography room in the attic room of the gallery.

Glasgow based photographer Garry Maclennan came down to give me and Leo lessons with the new equipment. A bit of problem solving was needed when we realised the wrong measurements had been given to us and our big tent was too tall for the room. Leo solved that problem with a hack saw and a staple gun and we were back on course!

Garry gave me a quick photoshop lesson before he headed back off to Glasgow but I have much to learn and my brain aches slightly at the thought of it.

Tuesday, 2 November 2010

I started my dress making course with Leah Halliday at Made In The Shade HQ last night. On a fabric buying trip to Mandors I was delighted to find this Liberty fabric designed by Grayson Perry - half price!

When his designs were launched by Liberty I was seriously tempted to buy some, but I didn't have a sewing machine or a project to work on. The fabric disappeared from the Liberty web site and I thought I'd missed out. I was so happy to find it in Glasgow. I think the fabric will really suit the style of the dress. He is one of my favourite artists so I can't wait to have a Grayson Perry dress!